William Courtenay facts for kids

William Courtenay (around 1342 – 31 July 1396) was a very important church leader in England. He served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1381 to 1396. Before that, he was the Bishop of Hereford and then the Bishop of London.

Early Life and Education

William Courtenay was born around 1342 in Exminster, England. He was a younger son of Hugh de Courtenay, 10th Earl of Devon, a powerful noble. His mother was Margaret de Bohun, who was a granddaughter of King Edward I of England.

William went to Stapledon Hall at Oxford University. He studied law there. In 1367, he became the chancellor of the university. This meant he was the head of the university. Around this time, he also began his career in the church and in politics.

Church and Political Career

William Courtenay quickly rose through the ranks of the church. He became a high-ranking priest in Exeter, Wells, and York. On 17 March 1370, he was made the Bishop of Hereford. Then, on 12 September 1375, he became the Bishop of London. Finally, on 30 July 1381, he was chosen to be the Archbishop of Canterbury. This was the highest church position in England. He took over from Simon Sudbury, who had held both the London bishop and Canterbury archbishop roles before him.

Standing Up to Powerful Leaders

Courtenay was also very active in politics. He lived during the end of King Edward III of England's reign and almost all of King Richard II of England's reign. From the start, he was against John of Gaunt, a very powerful duke and uncle to King Richard II. Courtenay strongly supported the rights of the English Church. He also wanted to stop the spread of new religious ideas, especially those of the Lollards.

In 1373, he told a church meeting that he would not support a new tax until problems in the church were fixed. In 1375, he upset the king by sharing a papal order against people from Florence. In 1377, he took strong action during a disagreement between John of Gaunt and William of Wykeham. This led to a temporary win for Courtenay.

Dealing with John Wycliffe

John Wycliffe was a religious reformer whose ideas caused more disagreements between John of Gaunt and Courtenay. In 1377, Wycliffe was called to appear before Archbishop Sudbury and Courtenay. A heated argument between John of Gaunt and Courtenay caused the meeting to break up. During the riot that followed, John of Gaunt was likely kept safe by Courtenay, even though they were rivals.

After becoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Courtenay called a special meeting in London. This meeting, sometimes called the "Earthquake Synod" because of an earthquake that happened during it, officially said that Wycliffe's ideas were wrong. Courtenay then worked to stop the Lollards at Oxford University. He also encouraged other bishops to arrest people who spread these new ideas.

Later Years and Royal Relations

For a short time in 1381, Courtenay served as the Chancellor of England, a top government official. In January 1382, he led the wedding ceremony for King Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. He also crowned Anne as queen.

In 1382, Courtenay tried to visit different church areas, which led to arguments with the bishops of Exeter and Salisbury. He was only partly successful in getting them to pay a special tax for his travel costs. In his final years, Courtenay generally supported the Pope's authority in England. However, he always made sure it did not harm the English Church.

Courtenay did not like how much money King Richard II was spending. He openly told the king off for it. After an angry scene, the king's threats made Courtenay go back to Devon for a while. In 1386, he was part of a group chosen to improve the kingdom and the royal household. In 1387, he helped make peace between King Richard and his enemies, led by Thomas of Woodstock, the Duke of Gloucester.

Death and Legacy

William Courtenay died in Maidstone on 31 July 1396. He was buried in Canterbury Cathedral, near the east end of the choir. He helped expand his family's religious foundation in Somerset, called Naish Priory. He also oversaw important building projects at Christ Church Canterbury and Maidstone College.